Whilst in the library today I spontaneously decided to purchase a book from amazon. I am unsure as to why I actually bought it, but i am genuinely excited for its arrival. I feel that that the book ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ by Jay Conrad Levinson will be extremely beneficial for my dissertation as this is the main concept that I will be covering.
Over the past few days I have been reading a previous students dissertation (Peter Thomas) as it is based on a similar topic that I intend to write upon. It has helped me to focus my idea a great deal, and also highlight areas that I should focus on…..and avoid.
The dissertation itself isn’t worrying a great deal to be honest. I believe that I can write 8,000-10,000 words to a decent standard. It is the accompanying reading that is so time consuming, and it doesn’t help being quite possibly the slowest reader in the world. However i am try and to read little bits here and there whenever i get a chance.
I have just completed the first chapter of ‘No Logo’ by Noami Klein and I have to say that the content is genuinely interesting. I wouldn’t say i haven’t been able to “put it down” but it has been very relevant to my topic of discussion and also i have absorbed a lot of the information.
“Logos, by the force of ubiquity, have become the closest thing we have to an international language, recognized and understood in many more places than English.”
This is very true, brands or logos are recognised the world over, the Macdonald’s M has become synonymous with fast food for instance. This got me realising that I need to attach a very strong and eye catching brand to my ‘Line King’ game immediately, as this could become an ‘international language’.
Additionally I would also like to delve further into the world of alternative advertising and see if these logos played as an important role as in traditional media…….
I have also obtained
Successful Advertising- Key alternative approaches, Martyn P. Davis
Subculture: the meaning of style, Dick Hebdige
to get my teeth into…..
In my opinion in order to create an excellent online game (webcam or not) a number of elements must be present. I have developed this theory/bollocks since I have been constantly researching for my own online game. This is not gospel, and the majority of the information is common sense.
First and foremost the game must be FUN. This will ensure that users tell friends, revisit the game and virally pass on the game. This is the fundamentally aspect of gaming, otherwise why would we be playing? One of my favourite online games that I have come across/interacted with is ‘blast billiards’. The game itself is very simple but extremely fun.
http://www.blastbilliards.com/game03.php
This leads me nicely onto the second key element to producing effective online games. SIMPLICITY is essential, from ensuring the game is easily accessible, through setup and of course game play. Users do not want to exert any effort when consuming online games; they merely want to escape the boredom of work/life and be entertained. Another of my favourite online games is ‘Roberto Baggio magical kicks’. I spent countless hours at college trying to beat my friends, the however has been updated immensely since the last time I played it, as the character used to be pixelated and the graphics were poor, nevertheless the simplicity still remains.
http://www.tvnet.lv/images/games/files/212.swf
Additionally I believe that all users take part in games in order to be ENTERTAINED. Again this is a vital aspect to focus on in order to create an effectively online game, whatever the topic or format. If the user is entertained, they will in turn pass a good game onto a friend, both virtually and via word of mouth and this is crucial in driving publicity of your product.
Finally I believe that it is essential for the audience to INTERACT with the game on some level. Whether it is interactively via the use of a webcam or by completing certain levels in order to feel personal satisfaction. Another key interesting element to try and weave into the game is personalisation, this helps the user to bond with the game and obtain a sense individualism. This will ensure users are intrigued and excited and increase the chances of them returning to the site.
I have recently been concentrating upon the supporting material associated with the Minor project and I am gradually realising that it takes longer than first thought. I am intending on handing in a small branded booklet to accompany my presentation as i feel that this will improve the overall feel. Also it makes me look professional (and BIG TIME) which I love. I have constructed a template page to ensure that all the accompanying paperwork adheres to strict continuity and again looks aesthetically pleasing.
Currently I am happy with the design and layout of the template, i just need the majority of the work to place upon it. I have completed a couple of sheets now and am in the process of finishing my research into ‘online games’. I feel this is benefictial to help me understand my target audience and also my sector better and hopefully improve my game. ‘Online Games’ post to follow shortly….
Ok. I now have in the words of Craig David ‘7 Days’.
7 days to complete my presentation.
7 days to complete my prototype.
7 days to complete my supporting material.
7 days to write up my critical review for my dissertation.
To be honest i have nearly completed my presentation, i just need to include additional research and make any improvements suggested by my seminar group in my run through today.
My prototype is very seperate at the moment. I feel that i have the majority of the material, but as yet i have not stitched it together properly. My aim however is to have this complete by the weekend, in order to touch up before the deadline in ‘7 days’.
The supporting material is also nearly completed, and just needs to be fused into a presentable manner. Hopefully this should not take to long, as the platform for it is already in place.
My critical review however needs to be padded out. I am currently reading ‘No Logo’ which seems to be extremely relevant to my chosen subject matter of alternative advertising. Significantly however i have been waiting for ‘On brand’ by Wally Olins from the library for a week now. I resevered a copy, but the current holder of the book has yet to return it. They will in turn have to pay a fine to the library, i feel the fine should be paid directly to me as it is hindering my progress, plus i could do with a few extra quid.
Ok gotta got to go learn.
I cant help but feel that I should have heard of or read this book before now. I really connected with the book and in particular the principles that Curtis applies to his own work. I was able to relate to a number of the situations that he found himself in, and I was also glad to hear that he continually doubts himself to.
Throughout the book Curtis details his experiences as a digital designer, and the creative processes that he and his company (hillmancurtis, inc) undertake. However I feel that many professionals would easily be able to relate and apply his creative process to thier field in some way.
Here are a few of my favourite quotes:
“Once you know the theme of your design questions can be answered”.
“In my experience you don’t generate ideas, you beg, borrow and steal them”.
“Without communicating a theme, our designs will simply be pretty pictures……a bouquet of roses with no note attached”.
“Ideas/Inspiration are all around us and, like air, we share them, breathing the into our bodies and returning them, changed, into the creative atmosphere”.
Filed under: Minor/Major Production
I have been brainstorming my idea a great deal over the past couple of days. The idea still remains the same:
I am planning to produce an online interactive steady hand game. The game will use the power of a webcam or isight camera to allow the user to control the movement upon screen. This will mean the users will endure a new online interactive experience with the game, not dissimilar to that of the Nintendo Wii or Eyetoy.
I was however struggling to come up with a suitable name. I have now pretty much settled upon ‘Line King’ as i feel that it is relevant for the target audience of 8-14 year olds……and I also believe that I can create a strong brand to attach to the game, but we will have to wait and see….
Filed under: Minor/Major Production
I am intending on producing a webcam/isight camera game based upon motion and colour detection. The theme of the game will be that of a traditional steady hand game, but re-introduced on a new platform. The users will be able to complete pre-determined lines, or create their own and share with their friends. This gives the user excellent gameplay, the ability to personalise it to their preference, and also pass the game onto their freinds. This therefore intrduces a viral aspect to the product, and in theory a brand or message could easily be attached without much hassle. The main stumbling block at the moment however is the target audience that i wish to aim the product at. I am edging towards aiming the game at children, to help the hand eye co-ordination, and also to help them concentrate. This would be a good area for me to cover as my mother is a teaching assistant, this would mean testing would be a relevatively easy to undertake. She often complains that the children struggle to concentrate unless they are situated in front on a computer, and i feel that my game will both entertain and help the children to focus on a particular task. Additionally i have been researching into hand eye co-ordination and how it develops through childhood…but i feel i need to delve even further to obtain a “need” for my game. I am searching for a statistic to base the theme of my product upon, and also i feel that this will help me focus in on the target audience and design better….
Filed under: Minor/Major Production
Upon returning for my final year i was no closer in uncovering my major idea than i was when i had completed my second year. The summer was all about obtaining a decent work placement, which fortunately i was luckily enough to do. However this meant that i did not complete as much uni work as i had said to myself that i would do.
To brainstorm ideas i began thinking about things that i enjoy doing……but many of them ideas were quickly quashed for various reasons. Then i recalled that in the summer i had spent almost a day playing on a Nintendo DS and in particular Brain Training. Basically we had a family gathering one weekend and my younger cousin brought her DS, and me and my brother stole it for the day and temporarily became recluses due to its interactive nature. This got me thinking could i adapt this concept and take the idea online to a new audience. Around this time i also stumbled onto Mark Shuflebottoms website www.webspaceinvader.com and was intrigued by the ‘webcam motion detection interface’ and i wondered if i could perhaps combine the two ideas.
Many brainstorming sessions and tutorials down the line (i use ‘many’ very loosely here) I have decided to produce a kind of online steady hand game for the interactive world. I imagine the product allowing users to create their own lines to complete, and a countdown timer in order to introduce an element of competition. The idea is still very much in its infancy, but will use the webcam or isight camera to allow the user to interact with the screen. http://www.neuroproductions.be/ has been of great inspiration to me, as the producer of the site Kris Temmerman has managed to obtain over 400,00 hits for 1 of his webcam orientsted games which is placed upon newgrounds.com. I hope to have my game uploaded to the site upon completion and who knows maybe even as many hits……you can always dream….
Filed under: Dissertation
A week after I moved back to Bournemouth for my third and final year, my hard drive decided to fail , great timing!!! However in a weird way I am glad that it happened now, and not in 6 months or so time. An external hard drive is now top of my Christmas list. I was planning on writing my dissertation on social networks and their affect on society, but felt that this is already a very well covered area. I was also struggling to remember the the exact question I had handed in for my dissertation proposal, and having lost all the research that I undertook in the summer I decided to rethink my question.
I have recently been purchasing The Guardian on a Monday, for their in depth media section, and one article got me thinking. It was titled “Will it blend?” and it immediately caught my attention. It was centered around an American blender company who have taken a unique approach to advertise their product. Placing humorous videos upon youtube in which the product is blending everyday items including an iphone, ipod, lighters and glow sticks. Heres one of them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1ckCkm8YI Apparently this “campaign” has improved their product sales by up to 650%…… So this got me thinking. Will advertising and marketing of all products move this way? And what other strategies are companies undertaking in order to bypass traditional media? My dissertation was then born.
I am planning on delving into alternative advertising and how it affects us as consumers. The title needs some work, but i am genuinely interested in this topic so I feel that i can write an interesting 8,000-10,000 words about it………we will see
